Despite wins, Ancelotti says 'it's not all perfect'

Updated: 21 September 2012 20:30 IST

Paris St Germain have got their faltering start to the season back on track with three successive victories, the latest coming in the Champions League, but coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted that "it's not all perfect".

Written by Agence-France Presse

Read Time: 3 mins

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Paris St Germain have got their faltering start to the season back on track with three successive victories, the latest coming in the Champions League, but coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted that "it's not all perfect".

PSG, now bankrolled by the Qataris, handed out an impressive 4-1 thumping of Dynamo Kiev in their opening Champions League group game on Tuesday, a far cry from their season-opening run of three meek draws in Ligue 1.

"I don't think European teams are worried by PSG. We've only played one match in the Champions League," said Ancelotti, twice a Champions League winner both as a player and as a coach with AC Milan.

"We played well but there remains many things to accomplish in Europe.

"After our three league draws, we reacted well. We didn't lose our heads and things got much better very quickly."

Ancelotti, who joined PSG in December after being sacked by Chelsea at the end of the 2011 season, added: "The essential has been to find a good balance. All the team defends with a lot of aggression and they're finding some good answers in attack.

"It wasn't normal not to win the first three matches, but we didn't play good football. It's not all perfect. We have to improve and we have to have the mental strength to want to do that."

Ancelotti played down concerns over Nene, the Brazilian striker having warmed the replacements' bench for the last three matches.

"There's no problem with Nene, but after Lille we found a good balance and I didn't change the team because I wanted to give confidence to those who had played. It's because of that that he didn't play," the 53-year-old Italian said.

"It's now normal that the players who don't have opportunities are not happy. But the season will be very long and, even if I don't know how many matches they'll play, they'll have chances to get on the field."

Ancelotti added: "I also want to thank them because even if they aren't happy, they don't show it. It's for that reason that the atmosphere is good.

"Sometimes I have to explain my choices and speak with the players. The toughest thing for a coach to be able to do is to give a sense of responsibility to the players and count on their professionalism. Here, they are extremely professional."

Looking ahead to Saturday's Ligue 1 fixture against Bastia, Ancelotti said he'd had no thoughts of a sleepless pre-match night in Corsica, where the welcome for PSG is traditionally a "loud" one.

"When I decide to sleep, I sleep," he joked. "In Palermo or Cagliari in Italy, I never had a problem with the atmosphere.

"Bastia started very well but suffered afterwards and have had nine goals scored against them in three matches.

"They have a very offensive-minded attitude and game, with a lot of aggression. I don't know if they'll change a little bit to defend more."